At long last, Rent-a-Girlfriend makes its return with the announcement of a 2nd season. For better or worse, Kazuya will continue sinking a ridiculous amount of money into rental girlfriends. Aside from the obvious, the 2nd season of Rent-a-Girlfriend will expand upon the existing cast, with a ton of new developments. Here’s a look at what to expect from the brand-new season of Rent-a-Girlfriend.
Rent-a-Girlfriend stars Kazuya Kinoshita, a college student freshly dumped by his girlfriend, who hires a rental girlfriend out of sheer desperation. For the price of 22,000 yen, Chizuru Mizuhara graciously spends the day with Kazuya. Mid-date, tragedy strikes, and Kazuya’s grandmother is hospitalized. With some time remaining, Chizuru accompanies Kazuya only to end up in a misunderstanding that the two are dating. The series follows Kazuya and Chizuru as they sink deeper into their lie.
A Glimpse of Chizuru's Acting Skills
Chizuru’s ambition of becoming an actor is revealed rather late in the show but is the primary reason for her job as a rental girlfriend. Unsurprisingly, Chizuru is rather talented, demonstrated by her stellar reputation as the perfect girlfriend. At the same time, her part-time gig is the only time we are shown her acting prowess.
Rent-a-Girlfriend's 2nd season finally shows off what Chizuru is capable of. The show begins to dig deeper into Chizuru’s character, and along with it, her acting skills. By dipping a toe into the world of show business, Rent-a-Girlfriend expands on Chizuru’s dream of becoming an actress.
Chizuru Opens Up To Kazuya
The 1st season of Rent-a-Girlfriend unsurprisingly focused on building up Chizuru and Kazuya’s relationship, without delving too deep into Chizuru’s character. We’re informed about her dream to become an actor, but little else is revealed. On the surface, Chizuru Mizuhara is the perfect girlfriend and is determined to keep it up.
The 2nd season of Rent-a-Girlfriend drastically alters the 1st season’s portrayal of Chizuru, and unveils her inner turmoil, even if just slightly. The dream that motivates Chizuru’s pursuit of acting unveils itself to be much more intimate than previously thought. At the same time, Chizuru also starts to open up to Kazuya about her problems.
Rukia Gets Closer To Kazuya
Through sheer luck, In season 1 of Rent-a-Girlfriend, Kazuya somehow lands himself a girlfriend. Rukia, another rental girlfriend, falls in love with Kazuya after he saves her from falling down a flight of stairs. She confirms her love through an incident in a classroom, forcing the two into a tight spot. Kazuya ends up being the first person to raise Rukia’s heart rate, convincing her that he is her soulmate.
Rukia’s relentless effort to win Kazuya’s affection continues into the 2nd season of Rent-a-Girlfriend. As only a self-proclaimed girlfriend, Rukia employs a whole arsenal of tactics. From dinner with Kazuya’s family, to spending the night at his apartment. Slowly but surely, Rukia closes the distance between them, getting closer to her goal of getting Kazuya to completely fall for her.
Sumi and Kazuya’s Bond Develops
Towards the end of the 1st season, we are introduced to yet another rental girlfriend. Sumi, who is overly shy and even somewhat mute, spends the day with Kazuya as training. Unfortunately, her appearance comes in the 2nd to last episode, leaving her severely underdeveloped.
Fortunately, in the forthcoming season, Sumi and Kazuya spend more time together, developing their relationship and Sumi’s character. The two have a few more dates together, but only in name. Sumi acts as Kazuya’s guide to navigating how to win over Chizuru, and Kazuya confides in her as well. The two develop a surprisingly wholesome relationship that will likely melt the viewer’s heart
The Grandmothers' Situation Worsens
The primary drive behind Kazuya and Chizuru’s pretend relationship, is to appease both of their grandmas. For that reason alone, the two leap through hoops just to keep appearances, leading to a ton of tense situations. As Kazuya and Chizuru dig themselves deeper into the lie, their grandmothers grow attached to the couple, making it harder and harder to break off the lie.
Chizuru and Kazuya’s grandmothers are both hospitalized, with Kazuya’s grandma falling being the catalyst to the whole ordeal. However, Rent-a-Girlfriend's 2nd season further complicates things. The situation surrounding their hospitalized grandmothers worsens, and it becomes unclear how Chizuru and Kazuya’s relationship will develop. Including the possibility of their game of pretending finally coming to a close.
Some Possible Cut Content
However, not everything is set in stone. The 1st season of Rent-a-Girlfriend skips over less significant chapters to fit in more of the significant plot points. Specifically, a short interlude with Sumi might be cut from the final product. Even so, the significant development between Kazuya and Sumi will surely remain.
Despite the possibility of some cut content, Rent-a-Girlfriend’s 1st season manages to adapt almost the entirety of 6 volumes. Following the same trend, the 2nd season will be just as faithful, so viewers won’t miss much at all.
Rent-a-Girlfriend’s 2nd Season is set to air July 2022.